Heidi Hirsh Emily RobertsAnna SchonleberWill Scheffler

Argument Outline

1.Global Water Crisis (Heidi)

2.Success so far (Emily)

3.Economics (Anna)

4.Marketable byproduct (Will)

Global Water Crisis: Demand for Desalination

http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/World%20fresh%20water%20supply_31345

Availability of Freshwater

97.5% of the water on earth is in the ocean.

Only 2.5% freshwater70% is permanently frozen

in glaciers30% is groundwater0.3% is in rivers and lakes

UN Water, 2011http://www.unwater.org/statistics.html

Scientific American, August 2008

By 2025…

Freshwater demand will rise by 2/3

1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and 2/3 of the world population could be under stress conditions.

Water withdrawals are predicted to increase by 50% in developing countries, and 18% in developed countries.

http://www.munnaontherun.com/2008/06/water-crisis.html

Science, Aug. 2011United Nations Water Statistics, 2011

Unlimited, steady supply of high-quality water, without impairing natural freshwater ecosystems.

Image: http://www.good.is/post/seawater-our-only-hope-for-a-drink/

Desalination

Nearly 15,000 desalination plants todayProvide some 300 million people with waterStill less that 2% of total planetary water

consumptionExplosion of demand in the Middle East and North Africa region

Also widely employed in Spain, the Caribbean, and Australia

New markets are growing in China, India, Singapore, Chile, and the USA

Desalination Today

Case StudiesThere are already 14,451 desalination plants

in use world wideThese plants produce 59.9 million cubic

meters of water per day (15.8 billion gallons of water)

Information: the International Desalination Association as of 2009

Co-generationCo-generation uses “duel purpose facilities to

produce both electricity and water” Also called CHP for Combined Heat and

PowerExcess heat from power production is

incorporated into the process of thermal water desalination

Fossil fuels or nuclear power are often used with desalination plants in the Middle East and North Africa

Information: New World Encyclopedia

Thermal/Multi Stage FlashThermal: heated water to boiling point,

condensation (pure water) is collected at the top and impurities left behind

Reverse Osmosis/MembraneIntake system Membrane Process Pre-

treat water Reverse Osmosis membrane Post Treatment

Pictures from International Desalination Association video

Nuclear DesalinationThere have been over 15 years of experience

with nuclear desalination, mainly in India, Japan, and Kazakhstan

In Japan, 8 nuclear reactors are linked to 10 desalination plants

India: hybrid Nuclear Desalination Demonstration Project (NDDP)

Information: World Nuclear Association

India’s Nuclear Desalination Demonstration Project (NDDP)Incorporates thermal (MSF) and reverse

osmosis (RO) desalination plants as well as a nuclear power plant

“The preheat RO system part of the hybrid plant uses reject cooling seawater from the MSF plant. This allows a lower pressure operation, resulting in energy saving.”Membrane life extended in the RO plant

because operated at a lower pressure

NDDP“…qualities of water produced are usable for

the power station as well as for drinking purposes with appropriate blending.”

“The post-treatment is also simplified due to blending of the products from MSF and RO plants.”

Information: Journal – Advances in Nuclear Desalination by Dr. Misra PhD from India, Research Associate at Harvard & UCLA

World Desalination Plants

Increase in technology such as improvements in the use of membranes are increasing efficiency and reducing cost

http://hbfreshwater.com/desalination-101/desalination-worldwide

Economics

Decreasing the use of energy consumption over time is reducing the cost of operation

http://hbfreshwater.com/desalination-101/desalination-worldwide

Decrease in cost leads to a decrease in price making freshwater more affordable

www.tandfonline.com/loi/venv20

Outstanding career opportunities for professionals engaged in water industry, science or engineering.IDA’s Young Leaders ProgramProvide a forum for communication,

networking and exchange of ideas among these emerging leaders and the industry at large.

Example: AustraliaDesalination will provide a secure and

predictable supply of freshwater to places such as Australia, who's other source of freshwater is capturing rain water which is highly variable and infrastructure intensive

Australia has already implemented this technology successfully, utilizing 3 in-use plants, 3 in progress plants and 1 planned plant

By-Product

A Marketable By-Product

Byproduct referenceshttp://www.water-technology.net/projects/

tampa/http://www.desalination.biz/http://www.desware.net/

Rebuttal

Re-mineralization of end product4 processes to re-mineralize desalinated

water:

Re-mineralization of end productWater quality for drinking/irrigation

Process Comparisons:

Re-mineralization of end product Can re-mineralize the water to avoid dietary

deficienciesInformation: Lenntech (org. created by

alumni of Netherlands’ Technical University of Delft; references include US Army, DSM Pharmaceuticals, Universities etc.)

The impact on a population level is not clear given the naturally high mortality of larval organisms in marine systems.

Appropriate screens and low intake velocity on open surface intakes can minimize impingement.

Locating intakes away from biologically productive areas can substantially reduce or eliminate entrainment of small planktonic organisms.Underground beach wells

Menachem Elimelech, et al. Science Aug. 2011

Brine ImpactIn the planning phase for Israel’s Ashkelon

desalination facility there were concerns about the impact of the brine that the desalination process producesDischarged 1km into the seaResidual dilutionDiffuser above seabed

Effects: Minimal salinity changeCreation of a positive “mini-fishery”

microenvironmentTal, Alon. Environmet: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development

SludgeYuma, ArizonaCooperative research and development

agreement with Envirock IncSludge “Green” concrete mix formulationReduce operating costs by up to US$

245,000/year

Announcement of the US Bureau of Reclamation on September 21, 2011

National Geographic, January 2008

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/big-idea/09/desalination

Precipitation

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=freshwater-crisis-current-situation

UNEP: United Nations Environment Programhttp://www.theglobaleducationproject.org/earth/fresh-water.php?format=print

CostIt is true that desalination may be expensive

today, but it is a long term solution to the water crisis and as shown, over time the cost will decrease

It is possible for the desalination plant to run of renewable energy such as solar or wind for example in Perth, Australia, the plant runs on renewable energy from a nearby wind farm. The increased use of renewable energy will reduce the carbon foot print in Australia

CostIt is hard to actually predict the cost of a

desalination plant because there is little available information

Cost is determined by a lot of different factors such as the capital and operating costs, type of facility, location, feed water, labor, energy, financing, and concentrate disposal which also makes the cost hard to predict

CostMuch of the energy use associated with

desalination can ultimately be recovered and recycled further lower the cost